With hardly two weeks left for the amnesty announced by the Ministry of Interior to end, an increasing number of illegal residents are turning up at the embassies and the Search and Follow-Up Department.
The three-month amnesty announced by the government for expatriates staying illegally to leave the country without facing legal consequences will end on December 1. The Ministry so far has not announced any plan to extend the grace period.
There has been a surge in the number of illegal expats approaching the Search and Follow-Up Department to avail of the opportunity.
Hundreds of amnesty-seekers holding their passports or travel documents were seen at the Department premises waiting for their turn. A separate air-conditioned tent has also been set up in the premises for the comfort of the amnesty seekers.
“Registration takes only a few hours. The procedures are very simple. The officers treat you very well if you follow the instructions,” a Nepali amnesty seeker told The Peninsula.
Embassies of some Asian countries have urged their citizens staying in the country illegally to approach the Search and Follow-Up Department of the Ministry of Interior (MoI) to avail the amnesty well before it ends.
Officials of various embassies have stressed the need to avoid last minute rush as the processing of all the documents for departure would take few days.
“I have repeatedly appealed to the Nepali expatriates who are staying here illegally not to wait for the last moment," said Mani Ratna Sharma, Chargé d'Affaires at Nepal Embassy.
“Big number of amnesty seekers are turning up at the embassy on a daily basis. We are issuing all required documents to the applicants,"he said.
“Indian expatriates are still coming to the embassy seeking travel documents to avail of the amnesty. But at the moment the number of applicants is not that high to request an extension of the amnesty period,” said an Indian embassy official.
Flights tickets necessary
Travel documents or emergency certificates are issued if the passport is not valid or lost. Those holding valid passports can head to the Search and Follow-Up Department with an open flight ticket or enough money to buy a ticket from a travel agency operating inside the Department. A dated ticket would also be enough but the booking should be for at least three days from the date of the issuance of the exit permit.
